


Malady

by CursedAesahaettr



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: As you can tell by the Until Dawn tag there will be death, Crash course in (Sky)Walker family conduct, F/M, Korr Sella makes an appearance as Leia's personal assistant, M/M, Mitaka is Hux's ex, Occasional PoV changes, Or at least gory maiming, Ransolm Casterfo gets shoe-horned in because I love him and he makes Leia get headaches, Rating is tentative until we get to said gore but there (probably) won't be much smut, Snoke is a creep who stalks the Walkers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-11
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 18:21:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9284180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CursedAesahaettr/pseuds/CursedAesahaettr
Summary: Anakin Walker has recently passed away under gruesome circumstances. His close family and friends gather to mourn him at his old estate while investigators dig into the mystery behind his death. The Walker family is tense even on good days, but the slow unraveling of their patriarch's murderer begins to take its toll on every member until trust is worth less than a penny, and tragedy threatens to strike again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A quick note before we start: This story has been in development since way before we found out Hux's official name. As such it started as Cameron and will stay so as it's a near and dear name for me now. Hope you all can understand. This is also unbeta'd, though I've been pouring over it for awhile, so please don't be shy if you see some mistakes I've made.

The wooden casket bearing the body of Anakin Walker is icy to the touch in spite of the mild temperature of the funeral hall, the building’s heater turned up to combat the early February chill. The ornate designs etched into the dark teak are haunting, and a direct request by the deceased. Cameron Hux can’t imagine what kind of man he must have been to ask for any of this. No flowers decorate the casket, only a thin sprawl of ivy draped along the lower half – or what Cameron assumes is the lower half, given that it’s a closed casket.

He remembers Ben explaining the schedule for the funeral, and that information had struck a chord with him. Not because he wanted to _see_ the body, necessarily, but because of the fact that it was a last minute decision on Leia and Luke’s part, given the circumstances of their father’s death. He was told explicitly not to mention it outside of the funeral, as only a sparse few details have been released to the public about the tragedy. As far as the majority of the world knows Anakin was victim of a break-in gone horribly wrong, stabbed by the intruder and left for dead in his mansion on Triad Peak. A simple if not morose death, but Cameron knew what was hidden from the public.

Just beneath his hand lay a body mangled almost beyond recognition. Ben was trembling with fury when Cameron had managed to convince his lover to explain further, cursing the bastard who’d severed multiple limbs clean from his grandfather’s body and scarred his face and chest as if to make it look like an animal had mauled him. It was a cruel addition of insult to injury, and Ben had sworn if the police couldn’t track down his grandfather’s killer than he would do so himself to avenge him.

“Cam, I need some air.” Ben’s voice, hoarse from grieving the previous night, jolts Cameron from his thoughts. He knows his love means he needs a smoke, but with a few relatives moving up to take a moment to mourn the dead he understands the need for discretion. It’s odd given Ben’s usual lack of care for most other’s feelings, but not unheard of.

He gives a short nod and slides past Ben’s uncle, Luke, as he escorts a young girl up to the casket – maybe in her early twenties with her hair pulled into an intricate set of buns – tossing a quiet pardon as he moves aside to follow Ben along the wall of the room to leave. Han stops them briefly on their way out to ask Ben if he’s okay – he hears a half-hearted “what do you think?” from Ben but neither men harbor their usual antagonism today. He lets them go, stepping up beside Leia to comfort her.

They settle against one of the supports for the awning in front of the funeral home, the cold of the stone leaking through the back of Cam’s jacket. He shoves his hands into his pockets and watches while Ben struggles to get his lighter working, hands cupped around the cigarette in his mouth to shelter the tiny flame from the brisk wind. It eventually catches and Ben lays his head back against the stone, pocketing the plastic lighter and letting his hand brush against Cam’s arm.

 “He left his house to Leia. In his will.”

Cam glances at him from the corner of his eye. The Walker manor is nothing to scoff at, though he’s never been inside the grounds before. The most he’s seen of it is a rather intimidating silhouette when he dropped Ben off at his grandfather’s late one night, but he knows the boundaries extend beyond the main yard, into the vast forest surrounding the mansion.

He shifts to cross his ankles and holds out a hand, beckoning for the smoldering cigarette which Ben casually passes over. Cam speaks between slow drags, grateful for the warm smoke that fills his lungs. “You’d think he would give it to your uncle, much as you say he favored him.”

Ben shakes his head and Cam catches a faint grimace on his face before he turns his head away to peer across the street at the cemetery. “Luke’s got his home in Florida. Got a boyfriend too, or so I hear.”

“Luke’s gay?”

“He’s bi, always has been.” Ben gives him a look like Cam asked the stupidest question and Cam doesn’t bother fighting off the tiny smile it brings up. “I swear it’s like you can’t read people sometimes.”

“Only when it comes to private things, like their sexuality; I usually couldn’t care what team people bat for.” Cam huffs and blows a stream of smoke in Ben’s face, which gets him to at least drop the look in favor of a pout.

Ben plucks his cigarette back from Cam’s fingers and takes a drag, looking back across the street. “Hope it’s only because you’ve got me.”

“But of course.”

“Did he leave you anything?” Cam’s certain he did, for the man had treasured his grandson dearly. Enough that if Cam didn’t know better he would think Anakin was Ben’s father instead of Han.

“A few things that are in his attic, a portion of his fortune... ‘Left in good faith, so don’t waste it’, that’s what he wrote at the end of my section.” Ben snorts and were the mood less somber he might have laughed as well. “I miss him already.”

Cam can’t find much else to say after that, deciding instead to twine their hands together. They slip into comfortable silence, broken only by the wind howling as it shakes the trees nearby and the occasional sigh as they work through a second cigarette when the first is gone. Briefly Cam thinks it’ll begin raining but the dark clouds roll past. He’s glad for that, because the last thing he wants is to feel like he’s in a stereotypical movie with rain falling to symbolize their grief and thunder clapping to mimic the sobs they’ll give or something sickeningly sentimental like that. He doesn’t feel there’s anything poetic about Anakin’s death; it’s just a wretched circumstance that brought them all together today.

Leia appears at the door and calls Ben’s name, letting the two know that they’re ready to begin. He tosses what’s left of his cigarette on the ground to snuff it out under his foot, brushing past his mother to head back inside.

The service is surprisingly pleasant. Cam’s only been to one other funeral when he was shy of nine years old, so he doesn’t have much experience to compare it to, but the gathered have made an effort to make the day less dreary than he’d feared. Sniffles and quiet sobs still break through now and then but they’re often with nostalgic smiles as stories are shared of the deceased in his prime.

Even Ben is smiling beside him with a few tears shining in his eyes, quickly wiped away when the band begins to play a mellow folk song.

It passes mostly in a blur which Cam blames on not having known the man well, and he’s ushered to his feet so Ben can shimmy out of his seat to join his parents at the front of the room while they get ready to make the short trip to the cemetery. This leaves Cam standing somewhat uncomfortably next to a man about his age who he recalls is named Poe, and just beyond he notes an older couple who he gathers is likely his parents and perhaps the main reason Poe is here as he doesn’t quite seem as shaken up by Anakin’s passing as they are.

They share a brief smile and keep to themselves until the rest of those gathered are allowed to follow the immediate family out, gathering into their vehicles to drive to the section of the cemetery reserved for Anakin’s grave.

The final service around the casket is brief – blessedly so, Cam thinks to himself – and as soon as the gathered are allowed to mingle and express their sentiments to the departed’s family Ben finds him once more and whisks him away to a willow growing on a small patch of earth where no graves have been made.

Ben looks close to speaking, running a large hand through his dark curls and licking his lips, but each time he opens his mouth to do so the words suddenly vanish. His eyes are still red-rimmed and his nose is raw, likely from overusing tissues.

“Are you going to talk or continue gasping like a fish?” Cam has taken a seat in the grass with Ben, facing him this time with his back to the crowd. He hopes in some way to shield the man from his family doting on him. Ben has always hated their fake sympathy; the kind they employ when they want to make themselves feel better by “helping” him.

“I need you to come back with me, after we’re done here. To his… well, _mom’s_ manor now. I’ll be bringing some of my things there.” Ben lays his head back against the tree trunk.

He nods almost immediately but Cam knows there’s something more. It’s all a matter of being patient until he opens up about it. “You’re not moving in there, are you? We’ve talked about this idea before, I won’t go with you.”

Ben gives him a dark look that almost amuses Cam. “I don’t see your aversion. But no, I’m not moving in, especially not with Leia. I just need to spend the weekend there because my family’s staying the weekend.”

Cam’s brows furrow at that. “The whole weekend? It’s not like Luke and the others didn’t _grow up_ there. I don’t understand.”

“It’s a family thing, of course you don’t un-“

“ _Benjamin_.”

He shuts his mouth so abruptly that his pretty little teeth clack together. Cam has very strict rules in regards to even the _mention_ of his family, and so far Ben has respected his wish to cut ties from them as he’d love nothing more than to do so with his own. As it stands, he doesn’t get the chance to emotionally flay the man on this already trying day since he can hear footsteps getting closer behind his back, and Ben uncharacteristically leaps to his feet to greet his uncle Luke and the young woman he’s been chaperoning all morning.

“It’s no good to be by yourself on a day like this.” Luke opens his arms to let Ben initiate the hug on his own terms and holds out a hand for Cam to shake, his grip respectfully firm. “You remember Rey, don’t you Ben?”

“How could I forget her?” Ben smiles, as honest as Cam has ever seen except at himself or when he talks about his grandfather. He turns and rests a hand at the small of Cam’s back. “Rey’s sort of my cousin.”

Cam tenses against Ben’s hand. He hasn’t forgotten Ben’s remark about his family situation. “Only sort of?”

“They’re not related by blood,” Luke explains. “Rey’s grandfather was close with Anakin. They were practically brothers, so she’s considered part of the family. Rey, this is Cameron Hux.”

“Ben’s boyfriend.” Rey makes the connection without further explanation, or perhaps she knows of him because she keeps in contact with Ben. Ben’s certainly never mentioned her. She resembles them all in the manner that she carries herself with. He could almost believe she was born into the family.

“It’s a pleasure.” Cam nods to her. “I only wish we could have met on better terms.”

“As do we all.” Luke bows his head for a moment to blow his nose into a pale blue handkerchief he produces from his suit pocket. “But enough feeling sorry for ourselves. We should head on to the manor to rest and settle in. Will you be heading straight there, Ben?”

“I, uh need to stop by the apartment first and grab a few change of clothes. Cam and I should head out now so we can meet you there.”

“I won’t keep you then. We’ll see you there.”

Rey gives a meek goodbye in turn and walks off with her sort-of uncle to rejoin the rest of the Walker family.

Ben’s hand leaves its place at Cam’s back and makes a grab for his wrist, but the sting of his earlier words is still too fresh and Cam recoils away from the touch. He feels Ben’s gaze drift down to their separated hands but Cam just starts down the nearest gravel path to go back to his car. The trip back to their home is horribly silent, so many levels beyond uncomfortable. Cam wishes Ben would suck it up and apologize already, but at the same time he doesn’t know if he’d be willing to forgive him so soon.

When they arrive home Millicent, his dear ginger cat, is immediately at their feet, purring and brushing against their clothes to express how much she missed them. The affection is enough to melt a bit of Hux’s anger and he kneels down to scratch under her chin.

Behind him Ben moves silently to their bedroom to start packing but Cam chooses to ignore him for now. He’s been in close proximity to Ben for too long, so the short break will hopefully do him good and help him cool down.

It would help more if his boyfriend would be the adult he so claims to be, but he’s barked up that tree before.

“Come, Millie.” Cam moves through the living room to open the glass doors to their small balcony. This view had been one of the main reasons they’d settled on the complex a little over a year ago. With the apartments located on the west side of town near the mountains they overlooked the entire area, as far as the edge of downtown way off in the east.

Millicent makes the short bound up onto the deck chair and settles in for a nap in the small bit of sunlight that’s managed to peek through the clouds while Cam peers down at the small garden area for residents to relax in. It’s always lush and bright in color from the seasonal flowers planted by the land owner, and there’s a sizable pool tucked away in the corner, though even in the summer few use it. Not since the frog infestation in June.  

Today he spots Unamo headed out for her daily jog, and Mitaka sits on the bench near the center of the garden reading from a large novel that rests in his lap.

All is relatively well in the world, and Cam can almost forget the earlier events of the day. He spends a long time just basking in the peaceful lethargy of the world below them.

By the time Ben returns with their suitcase packed Cam has nearly dozed off in the chair opposite Millicent. He sits up when he hears Ben shuffle onto the deck and cal Millie to come inside, running a hand over his face. “Exactly how many other people will we be staying with?”

“Hard to say,” Ben mumbles the words and lifts a plaintive Millicent into his arms to bring back inside.

This information hardly soothes Cam. “And how long are we expected to spend the night there?”

“Probably just for the weekend.” Ben seems equally upset with the idea and he closes the exterior door behind Cam with a huff. “If they try and keep us longer I’ll skin them. I swear it won’t be as bad as I’ve always made out family stuff to be. At least for you…”

“Oh yes, because they _adore_ me.”

Ben smiles in that crooked fashion that’d always stuck out when they were dating the first few weeks. “They do; surprisingly. Except Leia of course, but _that_ is your own fault.”

Cam manages a breathy sort of laugh and quickly checks to make sure Ben remembered the myriad of accessories for their electronics. “Oh yes, all because I expressed a bit of sentiment regarding her fellow politicians.”

“You practically declared your undying love for Casterfo and Sindian, her strongest opponents.”

“There’s still no need for the animosity.”

Ben shakes his head and tentatively reaches out to rest his hand on Cam’s arm. Despite still lacking in a formal apology, Cam gives in and presses into his embrace. He tries to blame it on the stress from the funeral process or the sleepy aura of the town outside seeping into him, but there’s no use denying he’s gone soft since they began dating.

“If she gets to be too much we could always have obnoxious sex in the guest room.”

Cam snorts and buries his face in Ben’s chest. “I love you.”

❖ 

The Walker Manor is as opulent as Shara always remembered, even with the bit of overgrowth creeping in at the seams between old brick and well-trod earth. As a young girl the manor was her dream home, some place familiar and comforting that held new mysteries around every turn, new rooms to explore and a wide garden to chase the twins through. She still feels fondly of it now that she’s fully grown; memories of her childhood friends always niggling at the back of her mind when she lets herself remember them.

It had the kind of atmosphere she’d always hoped to raise Poe in, but life had other plans as it often did. In the end she was proud of the man her son had become, passionate and full of love in spite of the hectic and demanding lifestyle that came with having both of his parents in the military.

Poe himself drives their little group to the manor, their SUV third in the small caravan of close family and friends heading to the mountainside home from the cemetery. Kes sits shotgun, telling a story from one of his many trips overseas to ease the mood. It’s a talent of his, one of her favorite things about him, how easily he can brighten up someone’s day. Finn seems to enjoy it about him too, as he’s always asking him to recount his tales.

“Hey Finn.” Kes looks back at the man through the rearview mirror. “Poe tells me he’s going to show you around the mountain this weekend.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty excited.” Finn has a bright smile on his face and glances over at his boyfriend. “I just hope it lives up to the hype of ‘the most romantic place in the country’. Otherwise he’s sleeping on the couch for keeping me up so many nights talking about it.”

Shara gasps before laughing at the two of them, noting the glint in her son’s eye as he pulls the SUV in beside Luke’s station wagon.

“First of all,” Poe defends immediately, turning in his seat to look back at Finn. “It is _the most beautiful place_ I’ve visited in the States. Second, you’d last all of an hour before you’d come crawling over to lay with me.”

Finn scoffs, climbing out of the SUV and rounding it to open the trunk. “Stop making good points.”

“Behave you two,” Shara chides them. “This is a time of mourning. Bring the bags in to the guest room and make yourselves comfortable.”

The two men promise their best behavior and scurry off with suitcases in tow, leaving her to help Kes out of the car. While doing so a figure rounds the front of the vehicle, and before she can properly investigate two warm and familiar arms wrap around her torso from behind.

A smug smile rises on Kes’ face. “Well hello, Princess.”

“Hello Sergeant.” Though her voice is hoarse from grieving, Leia returns his smile with her own softer one and releases Shara long enough so that she can turn and hold her properly.  “It’s been far too long, Shara.”

“Only a year,” Shara argues into the shorter woman’s soft hair. “And filled with plenty of correspondence; we’ve gone longer than that without being able to speak.”

A soft tsking leaves the woman and Leia steps back to let Kes stand. The oldest of the trio, he suffers most from old age and was coerced into buying a walking cane to aid in getting around. Poe once suggested he paint up an old motorized scooter to resemble Shara’s F-22A and received a crack over the head with said cane for it.

“Phone calls and instant messages just don’t offer the same physical comfort as meeting in person.” Leia places a hand on Kes’ back to steady him while he reaches back to grab his cane. “And I am truly glad your family came today, on short notice no less.”

“Shara couldn’t dream of not being here for you.” Kes leans down then to press a chaste kiss to Leia’s cheek, his free arm wrapping around her. “Neither could I.”

Leia’s entire expression brightens. She steps back and motions towards the front door of the manor where Han and Luke are receiving guests. “Let’s not stand out in the cold for too long. Rey helped me make tea and cake earlier, I can heat up a mug for you if you’d like.”

“That sounds lovely.”

Shara holds Kes’ arm and the two follow Leia inside. Their host shows them to the main sitting room and insists they get comfortable before breaking off to go to the adjoining kitchen. As the two settle into places on the couch more bodies find their way into the house, including smiling Lando and Chewie accompanying Luke. The latter of the men is currently trying to stifle a fit of laughter seemingly brought on by the pair and one of their jokes.

“It’s always nice to see him smile,’ Kes points out. “There’s always hope if Luke can find joy in hard times.”

Shara manages a chuckle of her own and places her hand on his thigh. “Alright wise guy, less talk more cuddling.”

Leia returns with a tray of warm tea and slices of cake to set on the coffee table in front of them. She tiptoes over the couple’s twined feet to sit beside Shara, and just in time. Without warning the room is full of friends and family trying to find places to settle; Finn and Poe have met up with Rey and occupy the rug in front of the television set, Ben and his boyfriend try to stand to the side except that Chewie all but drags Ben by the collar onto the second couch, and Han stands awkwardly in the center of the room trying to work the remote to the older model television – blatantly ignoring Luke’s attempts to take the ancient thing from him.

Shara Dameron has spent more than enough time around the Walker’s to know they are not a normal family, even by modern standards. They fight just as often as they make amends, and have a natural flair for dramatics. But the sight of the family like this together, laughing and smiling and sharing stories, reassures her that were any family to overcome adversity, it would most certainly be this one.

**Author's Note:**

> Aw man isn't that sweet? Almost makes you forget several of them are probably gonna die later.
> 
> Catch me on tumblr at firstorderelite where I roleplay and post a lot of kylux and hitaka.


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